Live Life As It Comes

We learnt life lessons from our family members, neighbours and friends.

Today I will tell you the Story of our great Grandmother.

Great Grandmother is an old woman with all creases on her face. We were very young then. It was my aunt’s marriage. All the eldest family members were invited first.

Great grandma was the daughter-in-law of the Mazumdar “gushti” or lineage. She walked like a hunched back person due to weight of her age and pain in her back.

Through my teenage eyes, I scanned her. Like a detective I tracked her. The young boys were strong and walked fast but grandma started the journey with them. Boys advised grandma to wait for the others.

People started for the wedding on their own free will. In the village, people have to walk a lot. I wondered how can grandma walk so much. I was walking with my mom. I spotted grandma answering to nature’s call in the vacant land near a cauliflower field. Mom waited.

My mother’s cousins were of my age. One said, “Why does grandma have to go everywhere? Can’t she stay home?” My mom answered, “it is our privilege that our grandmas can attend our weddings”.

On my mom’s wedding day, this great grandma had smuggled sweets for her. She said, “hey girl, eat this or you will become weak.” As per the rules, fasting on wedding days was the rule.” On my cousin’s wedding, I was shocked to see her eating a plate full of rice and vegetables. My mom said, “yes, some people eat.”

Great grandma ate fish because in our culture fish is our staple diet. Nowadays, people can’t afford fish and they want to avoid the casteist glare by adopting vegetarianism. She heard less and had no teeth. Mom enquired on her, and because of her age, the young boys took care of her safety. They treated her like a little girl pampering her with chops, fries and sweets.

She shared jokes and stories on weddings. She was short and fair and the grandmoms presence during weddings was important as witnesses and facilitating the rituals in an orderly manner.

There are rituals like playing game of shells, shoe hiding, exchange of garlands etc.

Great grandma died when I donno but she lived her life attending weddings of her grandchildren, keeping their secrets, the daughters in law fed her before everyone. They all have her the respect and she was a blessing to the family till her last breath. She kept the family intact and the family prosperous. With her death, the family disintegrated.

Live life at it comes.